Fallen Heroes
by Trooper 3.6
Summary: Heroes of old, once thought lost, are back. And must once again fight to defend their planet from evil and win redemption for their crimes.
1. Chapter 1

Author's notes: Well everyone here it goes. I never thought I'd meet the point in my nerdy life where I'd actually want to write fanfiction about Sailor Moon, but here it is! I'm taking it in a little different direction than most fans of this show might expect, I hope you all enjoy it though. Enjoy and please review.

…Greenland, three hours after the "Death and Rebirth Event"

Captain Blake looked down at the barren wasteland that always was Greenland. It was covered with snow and ice, not a sign of life to be seen. The massive crater would have gone unnoticed if the world-spanning event mere hours earlier hadn't taken place. Under normal circumstances the gothic castle embedded in rock along-side the crater would have astonished Blake. But after what he'd seen mere hours ago, nothing could surprise him.

"Hawk-Eye this is Command, anything to report, over?" Blake's superiors chimed over the radio. His earpiece kept the hum of the circling chopper at bay.

"Command, this is Hawk-Eye. We have a massive crater here, about the size of a small town. If I didn't know any better I'd say I we were looking down at the surface of the moon, over."

"Clarify that, Hawk-Eye, what do you mean, over?"

Blake went on to describe what he was seeing. The ground unearthed by whatever made the crater did not seem like earth's natural soil. It looked more like the surface of the moon. Which even he knew was not scientifically possible. But did not bother to mention that last detail, because science had gone right out the window three hours ago.

"We also have a structure here, Command," Blake went on. "Hidden in rock beside the crater, looks like a portion of some gothic castle, over." Command also didn't need to explain to Blake it was not possible for such a structure to be there. But he knew the chopper was streaming a video feed to Command. Any doubts in his sanity, though few and far between, would be silence once the chopper banked for a shot of the structure.

"New orders for you, Hawk-Eye," Command crackled into Blake's earpiece. Blake shot a questioning glanced at the other three members of his squad, they all nodded. "You are to land inside the crater and take soil samples, then proceed to the hidden structure and recon the location, keep in radio contact with your shoulder cameras on. Keep your heads on a swivel, we don't know what's in there. And do your bests to stay warm, the Army has had enough dead heroes for one day, over."

Blake acknowledged and checked his weapon and equipment. His squad did the same. They all activated their shoulder cams, sending a live feed of everything they saw to the Pentagon. Blake silently prayed this didn't end up as one of those "found footage" horror movies.

The chopper landed dead center in the crater. Blake opened the door and led his team into the arctic cold. They were heavily bundled in winter gear, but even growing up in Chicago hadn't fully prepared Blake for the bone chilling cold of the arctic. Through years of experience in Delta Force, Blake had been to hot-spots around the world, mostly in arid desserts and tropical jungles where the furnace heat of the climates were as deadly as snipers and IEDs. Blake cursed that the cold made him miss such places.

The only thing to be thankful for now was the moon. It seemed to shine brighter than usual, casting gentle light down on the gray rock and glassy snow, giving it all a silvery look. Blake shook the sentiment from his head, there'd be time to admire the natural beauty later. He knelt to scoop some of the un-earthly ground into a small plastic bag. His men Judson, Dodge, and Drake, did the same.

Once each squad member had sampled the strange dirt, Blake signaled for them to spread out, keep their eyes peeled, and follow him to the castle. They all nodded. Blake radioed Command that they had all sampled the ground and were making their way to the target. Command dutifully chimed for them to be cautious. It was hardly necessary, but Blake appreciated it and knew his men would too.

They made their way up the slope of crater in silence. Blake couldn't help but think back on the events of the past three hours. The nightmarish wave of darkness which blanketed the entire world, originating from the exact position he was walking on. How the ground charred and grayed in its wake and all buildings split and cracked like ancient ruins. And the nightmarish monstrosities that attacked out of nowhere. Some of these green-skinned monsters were humans, warped and corrupted by the wave of darkness.

The horror and chaos was rampant around the world. Cities were in flames, neighbors at each other's throats, creatures of darkness attacked everyone in sight! Every military force on the planet mobilized to defend their homelands from the overwhelming, otherworldly, enemy. Blake and his squad were at the Pentagon when it happened. Their briefing on yet another covert op in another hot-spot was put on permanent hold. They armed themselves and rushed to the defense of the White House, where a horde of the green monsters and possessed Americans was attacking.

Wave after wave of living nightmares charged, gnashing and slashing with tooth and nail. Soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, secret service, even local metropolitan police came to the aid of the nation's commander-in-chief. Then when ammunition was nearly out, and all hope seemed lost, that brilliant flash from the night sky swept the planet. All the green monsters vanished like dust in the wind.

Those formerly possessed fell to the ground unconscious, some of them with bullet wounds moaned in agony. Widespread confusion about the nature of the possessions led to many tragic cases of police and soldiers shooting and killing the victims, even as they raised their hands in fear and confusion, insisting they did not know how they'd had gotten there. To the shock of all, the ground had returned to its natural state and all buildings split and cracked by the darkness had miraculously been repaired in the blink of an eye. Many thought they had lost their sanity, equally many thought the world had ended. Blake almost believed the end had come, but figured a certain Jewish carpenter-turned-preacher would have made an appearance by now if that was the case.

"Until the world ends, we assume it won't!" Blake had barked to the shocked defenders of the White House, taking command of the situation. The president had been so impressed with Blake, he'd assigned him and his squad to investigate the source of this chaos. It hadn't taken long for the Pentagon and NORAD to trace the insanity to its point of origin in Greenland.

Blake took in a deep, silent, breath as they emerged atop the crater and looked into the ancient, long abandoned castle. He and his men readied their rifles, pointing their mounted flashlights down the stone stairway into the bowels of the gothic fortress. "Command, we are entering the target now, over," Blake announced over the channel and all but ignored Command's acknowledgement as he signaled the men to follow him down into darkness.

They met no resistance as they ventured further into the castle. But they kept on guard, for fear of an ambush. It got slightly warmer further down, allowing them to uncover their faces. Sergeant Drake followed right behind Blake. Drake was a model Army sergeant, his tough no nonsense demeanor was appreciated by both officers and enlisted men. Though his unnatural calm in the chaos of combat was often unnerving. He hadn't even seemed too shocked during the calamity hours earlier. Drake eventually fished a chocolate bar out of his coat and casually munched it, while still gripping his rifle at the ready.

"How the hell can you eat at a time like this?" Judson gasped exasperated.

Drake turned to him with his habitual calm smirk. "Still breathing aren't I?" he asked smoothly. "Eating is for the living." Blake paused to look over his shoulder. He tensed at the look on Judson's face, the Texan private was on the verge of cracking. The tragic news of the destruction of his home town, Dallas, had hit him like a ton of bricks, but his stubbornness would allow him to show it immediately. But Blake had suspected the nervous twitches in his movement and voice over the past hour. Blake readied himself for what was to come, they needed this like they needed their blood to boil!

"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU SO DAMN CALM?" Judson shrieked. "I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE BEEN KEEPING UP ON CURRENT EVENTS, BUT WE WERE GETTING OUR ASSESS KICKED!"

"Lock it up, private!" Blake snapped, with both a softer and sharper tone. "If anything is down here, if they didn't know we were here before they sure do now! Are you trying to compromise us?"

"COMPROMISE! WE'VE BEEN COMPROMISED!" The hysterical soldier paused, seeming to grapple control of his voice. "All our weapons, all our training, all our experience and tech, and those THINGS almost destroyed us! We were out of ammo! We were almost wiped out back there, and WOULD HAVE BEEN if that freaking, Deus Ex Machina shit hadn't happened! We don't even know how or why it happened! But it's the only reason we are alive!" Judson's voice was cracking in and out of control. Blake was an instant away from stepping up and knocking him out with a solid punch. Then Drake put a firm, but gentle hand on Judson's shoulder. The soldier looked into his sergeant's eyes, seeming on the verge of tears.

"There's no tactical president here!" he said calmly, like it should have been obvious. "No soldiers in this man's army, or any other army, has ever faced a doomsday Armageddon ripped straight form John the apostle's worst nightmare. We did the best we could do, soldier." Judson went silent and his breathing calmed. Blake softened his fist, Drake never ceased to amaze him.

"Our best wasn't good enough though, was it sarge?" Judson asked, his voice trembling, but more consistent.

"Which is why we need to get to the bottom of this now, and we need you to do your job in order to do that," Drake said plainly. Judson swallowed hard.

"Yes, sergeant," he paused and looked at Blake. "Sir, is there any chance you could all ignore what I just did?" he asked, lowering his head in shame.

"First we finish the mission, then in the after-action report we'll see what gets forgotten and overlooked. Audio and visual footage from these cams go missing in the system all the time." Blake said sternly.

"Yes, sir!" Judson straightened, Drake released the man's shoulder from his grip. "Request permission to take point then."

Blake smiled. "Not granted, son. You know my policy; a leader who stays in the rear…"

"Takes it in the rear," the whole squad finished with a brief laugh. Blake glanced at each of his men, even private Dodge who had kept quiet the whole time, he looked a bit shaken by the confrontation, but he nodded firmly. Blake led them further down into the unknown.

The stairs came to an abrupt end as the castle walls gave way to a large cave cavern. The steep drop off was no more than ten feet, but what Blake saw at the bottom made him blink in astonishment. "Contact!" he softly snapped. "We've got four bodies down there, not moving." Drake moved in to jump down and investigate, but Blake beat him to it. He landed on his feet with a loud thud, the cold and solid rock had made for a painful landing, but he didn't care. His only thoughts on the bodies at his feet.

Drake snapped orders for Dodge and Judson to stay up top and cover them before jumping down to assist with the bodies. They all wore white uniforms that looked like they'd belonged in some Si-Fi space opera. Each was a teenaged boy, about high school aged, two with blonde hair; one longer and lighter than the other. One with long white hair and another with long red hair. Blake ungloved his hand and felt one of their necks, not expecting anything but frigid flesh, and was shocked to find not only some warmth, but a pulse! He put pressed his ear to the same boy's mouth and felt a faint breath.

"Holy shit we've got a live one here!" Blake blurted out thoughtlessly. He went on to check the other three, all still alive. How was it possible? The temperature alone should have killed them by now!

Blake radioed in to command, they needed no convincing, having seen and heard it all from the shoulder cams. Blake steeled himself at his next orders from command, Intel dug up some dirt and the four handsome faces below him were ringing some bells.

… Langley, VA

"I say we kill them, hand them over to the medical, gut them and study them. End the matter there!" Agent Tombs grunted in his chair. The elderly agent was gruff and often abrasive, but his wisdom may well have saved the country many times over, and he knew it.

Agent Lynch sighed as he sipped his coffee, somehow he knew the old fossil would say that. He halfway agreed with Tombs, the bastards had already been the cause of so much carnage and misery. But Lynch was smart enough to know four valuable pieces of commodity when he saw them, and he wasn't the only one.

"Those monsters showed us no mercy, why should we show them any?" Tombs went on.

"We've had this discussion earlier," Agent Hex broke in in her usual cool demeanor. "Our sources have only managed to put together some of the picture here. Whatever that sentient energy source that attacked us was, those boys were working with it, but there are too many questions left unanswered here. If they were with it, why weren't they wiped out with it? Our diagnostics of their bodies show they'd been exposed to immense amounts of that dark energy. As you may recall our scientists have determined that this energy wave sought to absorb all life on the planet through its minions. Their bodies had received even more exposure to the energy than those possessed by the dark energy. They might have been possessed or even temporarily absorbed by the entity. We'll have a more complete picture if we can revive them. Plus, in this rapidly changing world, four young men with abilities like theirs might prove useful tools."

Agent Lynch was always impressed with the agency's national security panel's only female member. Hex always had a cool demeanor, even when she was scolding someone. And for an older woman she sure hadn't lost her looks. The middle aged woman had grown up in Harlem, New York City, though surprisingly didn't share much of her neighbor's distain for their homeland. Names such as "oreo" were widely sneered at women like her in neighborhoods like the one she grew up in. Personally Lynch didn't understand how that word could be an insult. They were his favorite dessert.

"But how can we trust an enemy? What's more, an enemy with such immense power?" Tombs challenged her. Lynch smirked, who said anything about trusting them? Hex only smiled, somehow seeming both sweet and menacing. Lynch doubted Hex had any delusions about Tombs challenging her. A shallow person might have accused Tombs of racism. Tombs may have grown up in a darker age, but not an agent on the panel would have suspected his integrity. In fact a number of KKK members had gone missing in the 70s and 80s, and all on the panel had clearance to know they'd been "dealt with" in Agent Tombs signature style. The bodies never were recovered nor would they ever be. The descendant of a union soldier who'd barely survived Andersonville was not to be trifled with.

"No one is trusting anyone," she replied. "We keep them sedated until we have a plan for how to use them, then we wake them up, question them, and test their mettle. We keep them off the books and on a need to know basis. And if they are discovered we cut all ties and blame the carnage on them, declassify everything we know about their involvement in the event, everything we know they've done, including those brainwashing and kidnapping operations in Tokyo. We've got built-in deniability."

Tombs was silent, like the rest of the table, but nodded thoughtfully. "What do you say, Agent Graves?" Hex asked, turning to the chairman of the panel. The older gentleman puffed on his cigar casually. His chair was slightly elevated at the far end of the table, he appeared almost kingly. Everyone on the panel knew he'd been a rookie back during the Bay of Pigs operation, had done work in the field as well as behind a desk, both equally deadly to enemies of the state. Agent Graves was what every CIA agent aspired to be, including Lynch.

"I take it you have a plan, Agent Hex?" he asked. She smiled and turned to Lynch.

"Agent Lynch does," she explained then nodded for him to stand. Lynch cleared his throat and outlined the details of his plan. The panel listened intently, he could tell he was impressing Hex, but Graves and the others kept straight faces. Graves smiled as he finished.

"You have quite the imagination, Agent Lynch," the elderly agent said. "But I like it." Lynch repressed a sigh of relief. "Have we managed to gain anymore intell on the boys themselves?"

"I have, sir," Agent Web stood up, closer to Graves' side than most. Like Lynch, Web was a younger man. An up and coming agent with his own ambitions and aspirations, he was also a skilled hacker and commanded his own army of hackers. "My net-army has discovered a never-before-seen network. A completely separate internet from ours, the puzzling thing is, we've tracked its source to the moon." There was a pause of shocked silence in the room.

"Are we talking aliens here?" Lynch blurted out, and immediately regretted it. Thankfully no one laughed or told him to shut up.

"Possibly," Web went on. "And to add to the puzzle, we calculate that it has been up and running long before the event. My net-army has only just begun to get inside, but I just received word on my tablet that they've uncovered visual records and those boys are in it."

Web turned to the plasma screen on the wall and thumbed the remote control. The screen began showing one of the visuals taken from this alien network. It was of the four boys standing together in their white uniforms. Lynch smirked that they looked like they were dressed up for comic con.

Web had even deciphered their names. Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite, and Kunzite. These were the only details Web had to offer at the time. But Lynch was certain he'd be getting to know them much more intimately soon. He and the rest of the panel also weren't entirely sure how those mysterious girls appearing in Tokyo factored into all this. The preening princesses were running around the city fighting the minions of the entity long before the agency had gotten wind of it. What was the connection? Lynch couldn't wait to find out and now he wouldn't have to.


	2. Chapter 2

…Black site

Jadeite awoke in a daze. "Mars…?" he groaned. Where was she? His last vague memory was regaining his memory in that cave below the fortress, then all went blank. The last thing he'd seen was her eyes, gazing back at him.

"He's waking up!" a synthesized voice crackled into the air.

"Good!" said another digitally altered voice. Jadeite blinked as he realized he was strapped to a chair in a large prison cell. Light from the window of a room shone down on him from just outside the cell. He had trouble moving his head, then realized his head was strapped in a metal clamp of some kind.

"Where am I? Where's Mars?" he demanded frantically.

"Mars?" one of the voices asked. "Is that where you're from?"

"Who are you?" he demanded, ignoring the question. "Where is Nephrite, Zoisite, and Kunzite?"

"WE ARE THE ONES ASKING THE QUESTIONS HERE!" The other voice blared. "But your friends are alive, for now. But that can be subject to change. We know who you are, Jadeite. You've been unconscious for about a month now. We also know from our inquisitive research that you were in league with a foreign despot, one Queen Beryl! And that for her you've committed countless murders, attempted murders, and kidnappings. We also know you and your cohorts were key players in the attempted destruction of this planet. We could just wait a little longer for our hackers to get more out of the moon's network, or you could make this easier for us and yourself. Where is your Queen now?"

Jadeite scowled in disgust. He owed no loyalty to that witch for what she did, for what she almost made him do to the woman he loved. But he would not be interrogated. "GO TO HELL!" Jadeite cringed and hissed in agony as electric shocks burned into his head.

"ANSWER THE QUESTION!" the voice bellowed. "WHERE IS QUEEN BERYL?

"SHE'S NOT MY QUEEN!" Jadeite roared before hissing again as the electricity singed his brain.

"DON'T BULLSHIT ME, JADE! WE KNOW YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS WERE HER LITTLE PRINCES! NOW TELL US WHERE SHE IS!"

"She's dead!" Jadeite gasped. "Metallia killed her!" he answered sharply, though he wasn't entirely sure how he knew that.

"Who is Metallia? You better not be bullshitting me again!" the voice softened but was still sharp.

"The energy wave that was unleashed on the earth! It was sentient! Beryl was trying to betray her so she absorbed her inside herself, like she did to me and my friends!" It was all starting to come back to Jadeite. Metallia had absorbed him and his fellow knights into her when they'd broken the mind control spell. They'd remained conscious inside Metallia and had been able to communicate with the guardians and Prince Endymion. When the princess cast her healing spell over the planet and dispelled Metallia, somehow he and his comrades were able to eject themselves from Metallia before being lost forever.

"Interesting," the voice said. "We already knew the energy mass was somehow sentient, but now we have a name… Metallia, sounds like a band!" the voice said with a brief chuckle. "You're certain your queen is dead?"

"Yes. And she's not my queen! She used me! She used the power of metallia to control my mind! The things she made me do!" Jadeite paused to take in what he'd done while under Metallia's control. He hung his head in shame as he remembered he'd nearly killed Mars.

"I want to believe you, Jade," the man's voice softened. "But you're going to have to give me a lot more than just that. I don't want to hurt you again, but I need you to give me answers from now on."

Jadeite swallowed hard. Brainwashed or not, he couldn't escape the fact that he'd done terrible things. He couldn't hold back his tears any longer. He was so relieved that Mars wasn't there. He had seen the relief in her beautiful eyes when they broke free of the spell, then heard her cry when they were taken. What a fool he had been! He was ashamed of himself for allowing that witch to twist his mind to her own ends. He'd been nothing more than a pathetic puppet on strings. He didn't deserve Mars' love, he didn't even deserve to serve as a knight to his prince.

He also knew the destruction caused by Metallia and the lives lost. He owed it to the Earth, to Endymion, to Mars, and himself to fix what he'd done. And cooperating with whoever these people were would help set things right.

"What do you want to know?"

…

It had been like that for a week straight. The men in the room with the digitally altered voices asked him questions and he gave them answers. He told them everything. Everything he knew about Beryl and Metallia, and about his past life and what happened between the Earth and the Moon. He was careful not to let slip the Earth names of the Guardians, especially Mars. They were the royal guards of Princess Serenity, that was all he said, nothing about their strengths or weaknesses or any hints about their past relationships, where they lived or went to school. He also kept his mouth shut about Endymion's identity.

Jadeite had no way of telling the time. But he'd guessed it had been a week when the voice thanked him. "You've been very helpful, Jade. Thank you." Just then his cell door slide open and man in a military uniform and a gas mask stepped in. He drew a pistol as he approached him and sprayed a smoky mist into his face. Jadeite coughed momentarily then faded to darkness.

The dream was beautiful. As beautiful as the girl who smiled down on him in the summer sky. He knew her eyes and her dark hair in an instant. "What's this? A royal knight sleeping on duty? Who will watch your prince?" She asked mockingly.

"Zoisite and Mercury are watching them today, you know that." Jadeite yawned on the grass. The prince's royal garden was beautiful, as it always was during the summer.

Mars smiled. "The others are relaxing at the palace you know?"

"What do we need them for?" Jadeite asked with a menacing smile. Mars blushed but giggled at the same time.

"Come on you honor-less knight!" she chided him with a smile. "Let's go and join them," she said reaching down to help him up. Jadeite obligingly reached and took her hand.

"I have a better idea," he smiled wickedly as his grip tightened. Before she could react Jadeite dragged her down into the grass beside him and rolled over on top of her. They both laughed. "Why don't you come and join me?" Jadeite finished before kissing her passionately. He felt her return his passion as she kissed him back.

Jadeite was surprised to find himself rolled over underneath Mars. They both always managed to catch each other off guard. "This is scarcely courtly behavior for a knight!" Mars gasped, still giggling. Jadeite smiled and nodded.

"Mmhm," he hummed in agreement before rolling her over again and planting another kiss triumphantly on her lips.

"Why are men so impulsive?" she complained.

"Impulsive? As I recall, you started this competition when you drew your sword first," he playfully accused her. Mars blushed brighter than ever. They both remembered the day they met. Both having followed their regents to their secret meeting place in the very garden they now laid in together. Mars, as always the hot head, charged at Prince Endymion the moment he came into sight, certain he intended to attack the princess. Jadeite was the first knight to react, charging out and locking blades with her. Both had been shocked when their regents shouted at them to stand down.

Initially the two had been suspicious of each other, tolerating each other more than liking. But as time went by the warmed up to each other and soon realized they had fallen in love. But the feeling of competition between them didn't go away, though it became playful and often romantic.

Mars sighed in defeat, seeming to submit to him. "It's awfully hot here isn't it?" she asked.

"Why should that bother you?" he laughed. "Your uniform is light and breaths well, I'm the one stuck in this sweltering uniform all day," he huffed in indignation. "But I suppose there's something I could do," he finished. With the flick of a wrist, the two of them were laying in cool shade. Jadeite had summoned a shelter of ice around them. Mars gasped in wonder but quickly lit a fire in the center of their enclosed shelter. Jadeite nodded and instantly made a hole in the roof for smoke to escape through.

Then the two of them were alone in their shaded retreat and once again Jadeite leaned down and kissed his love. They embraced longingly and held each other close. Then it occurred to Jadeite that this was more than just a dream, it was a memory. One of the happiest he had of her. His heart ached for his love. If only this could be more than a dream.

A loud clanging sound ripped him out of his precious memory. A violent tapping against metal. "WAKEY WAKEY, BAD BOYS!" A man's voice called out mockingly. "WAKEY WAKEY EGGS AND BACY! Well actually no eggs or bacon, but you know how it is!" he finished with a laugh.

Jadeite sat up and was surprised to find himself unrestrained on a cot and there in the cell with him were Nephrite, Zoisite, and Kunzite. They all gasped in surprise then greeted each other happily. None of them had any idea how they'd survived the destruction of Metallia, but none of them cared. The past week had been much the same for all of them. They'd each been held in separate cells, strapped to chairs and interrogated in the same way by the man with the synthesized voice. Now here they stood in orange jumps suits in a slightly bigger prison

"Pardon me for breaking of the happy reunion boys, but it's time to get down to business!" They all turned to see the source of the voice. A prison guard in a military uniform smiled through the bars at them, tapping his night stick against the palm of his hand. "The name is Morty, I'm your handler for the remainder of your stay in this here penal institution. But don't worry, you might not be staying here much longer so you might not need to worry about my beautiful voice interrupting your beauty sleep. Or in your case, dirty sleep," he winked at Jadeite, who lurched back in confusion. He felt his face burn in embarrassment.

"You should have heard this horny little boy moaning a moment ago," the guard giggled at the other three prisoners. "'Mars… Mars…,'" he mockingly aped Jadeite's voice. "Doing a planet… kinky!..." he chuckled.

Jadeite's embarrassment turned to rage. "IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" he roared as he charged bars and glared in the guard's face.

"Take it easy there, Romeo," Morty giggled. "I'm just busting your chops, pulling your leg, just trying to RISE out of you!" he said, swiftly striking Jadeite in the groin with his club between the bars. Jadeite fell to his knees in pain. "For kicks and giggles," Morty finished.

His brother knights were at Jadeite's side in an instant, they all fixed Morty with deathly glares. "Take it easy boys, touching the bars is not allowed. Only doing my job, and maybe just enjoying my little temporary position of power of you guys. What are you nervous? If we were going to kill you you'd be dead by now."

The four knights were not fooled for an instant by his shark-smile but they reluctantly cooled their tempers. "So tell me, "Morty began once passions cooled and Jadeite stood up. "How are you boys with your bible reading?" They all looked at each other in confusion. "How about the forbidden books, like Enoch?" he asked only to be answered by silence and puzzled looks. They all knew what the bible was but no it's significance here.

Morty picked up a computer tablet floor and fiddled with the touch screen for a moment. "Behold the Metatron, the voice of God," he said before turning screen to them. The knights blinked in astonishment at the sight of a man in a suit.

"Good morning Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite, and Kunzite," the man greeted them. His voice seemed somehow familiar. "Nice to finally meet you in person. How did you like my batman voice?" Jadeite felt himself and the others glare. This was him, their captor and interrogator. "My name is Agent Lynch, and I appreciate your cooperation with United States government so far. But I'm afraid more is needed. You've all done well in telling us what we needed to know, but the fact is a lot people around the world are dead or permanently scarred by what you boys did. And while you've told us enough to not only start on defenses from this sort of thing in the future, but to start developing weapons that for years have only existed in movies and video games, talk is cheap, as you all well know."

Jadeite blinked, he knew exactly where this was going. "What the federal government wants from you boys is a gesture. Service is the gesture the government wants from you, to convince them that we're all playing on the same team."

"We all died breaking free from a prison built into our own minds, for the protection of this planet!" Kunzite hissed. "And now we need to convince your government by being their puppets, like we were to Beryl!"

"Not at all!" Lynch replied. "I'll handle the government, I've got plenty of friends up on Capitol Hill anyway. Your job is to convince ME. Not by being puppets, no! Puppets are a dime a dozen. I want knights; warriors, soldiers with abilities unlike any soldier in all civilization. And you boys are it!"

None of this had appeased their anger, but they all understood it didn't matter how they felt. They weren't being given a choice. And the suit with the smug grin held their lives in his hands. Jadeite had already guessed it was something he'd done to them that kept them from using their powers.

"Oh and by now you realize you can't use your magic, no doubt." Lynch said, as if on cue. "With the latest developments in medical science, we have developed a way to restrain your use of magic, or whatever the hell it is you use. You get your magic back, when I'm confident you won't use it against me and the good people of the United States. And then only as much as I'm willing to let you use. Trust is a process, kids, and you're just going to have to earn it."

"Are we enslaved to your government for life?" Nephrite asked.

"Like I said, trust is a process," Lynch replied. "But if you cooperate, and don't die, you just might be able to win a full pardon. But this has dragged on long enough. Let's get down to your training, which consequently is also your first assignment; a little on the job training if you will."

"We are listening," Zoisite said. None of the others said different.

"Good!" Lynch smiled. "The prison you are currently confined in is what we call a black site. A place that is off the grid, reserved only for the world's most awesome scum; the worst of the worst. And no you're not in Club Gitmo Cuba, that place is just for tourists. It was only natural for us to pen you boys up in here, completely off the grid, the books, and the chain. You might say we threw you in a hole and then threw away the hole," Lynch went on, the man clearly loved the sound of his own voice.

"Your mission is simple; kill everyone in the prison and stay alive," the four young men stared wide-eyed at their captor in silence. "No boys, your ears did not deceive you. You see, as I mentioned we want you to be our soldiers. So primarily we'll be having you kill very bad people who mean to do our country harm, and where better to start than with a prison full of bad guys that the legal system is too good for? Frankly, the government just didn't want to risk some smooth talking lawyer making his name by finding just the right loop hole in the system to stop a conviction, or for some of these mass murdering maniacs to walk free just because one of the cops who arrested them once called a completely different person an ethnic slur. You get the idea."

"Oh and one more thing. Not only do the hundreds of stone-cold killers in the nearby cell blocks know you boys are there, but our friend Morty here promised a billion dollars apiece for your heads. And also they'd walk free. They've all been shown photographs of your faces and they know which block you're in, so you might want to limber up and maybe get a game plane together because some of them might have lost friends or family in the Event. Good luck!"

The screen went black, only Morty's toothy grin looked back at them now. "Well this is not a really good day to be you!" he chuckled sadistically. "Don't worry fellas, the riot won't start till I unlock all the gates. Now's your chance to impress the boss, boys. Don't let him down, for your own sakes," he finished with a wink before sauntering off down the empty cell block, like he hadn't a care in the world.

The exit to the cell block locked behind Morty and the cell doors all slide open. Soon they heard shouts, taunts, and cheers, from the nearby blocks. The inmates knew what was about to go down, they'd been waiting for this. For all Jadeite knew some of them were looking to avenge loved ones. His fists became hard as stones as he glanced at his comrades. They all steeled their faces and nodded back at him. They all knew the score. This was the only way to repent for their crimes. Maybe once their service was over they could hold their heads high again. Maybe once he'd settled things with the Americans, Jadeite could face Mars again.

The cell doors and block gates all opened in unison. The ringing of the metal was drowned out by the roar of the mob. The hunt was on and the fallen knights were in for the fight of their lives.

…

"Are you sure this is the best idea?" Lynch asked Agent Hex, who looked back at him from his computer screen with her usual grin; bot warm and menacing.

"Come on Lynch, don't go all soft on them," She said. "They may be victims in their own right, but they were a part of the nightmare that shook this planet to the core. Besides which, you saw their medical reports. Their cells heal and regenerate at an accelerated rate, all they need is metal claws coming out of their hands and you could squeeze them into yellow spandex! Plus a lifetime of combat experience from a highly advanced civilization. If they can't handle the scum we're throwing at them, we have no use for them."

Lynch nodded, as bad as their inmates were, alien entities like Metallia are far more dangerous. What's more, there might be more ancient threats from the stars out there. "You sure you don't want me to let them use their magic?" Lynch asked. Hex shook her head.

"You were in the service, Lynch. You know perfectly well the weapon doesn't make the soldier." He smiled and nodded.

"Not the weapon, but the heart behind it," Lynch thought to himself. But if the boys couldn't handle this mob, some of them might try for an extra billion by ripping out their hearts and asking for a bonus. Not that the inmates would ever see a single penny if they actually brought him their heads. Delta boys were standing by to kick in the doors and put down the riot.

Lynch watched the camera feed as the young knights exited their cell and stood in the narrow corridor of the block. Smart move! The Hot Gate principle, in a narrow corridor overwhelming numbers amount to nothing.

Jadeite, or Jade as Lynch called him, moved to the head of the pack and swung the first punch into the mass of blood-thirsty humanity swarming them. A big ape covered from head to toe in swastikas and confederate flag tattoos went flying backwards, knocking over inmates like bowling pins, probably crushing a few beneath his weight. Sun Tzu once said something about dispatching multiple enemies by dispatching one. Guess the man knew what he was talking about.

The mob of inmates shrank back in fear for a brief moment, then resumed their attack with fury. Nephrite and Kunzite stepped forward and met the mob with round house kicks, sending two waves of inmates slamming into the cell bars on both sides with loud clangs.

Lynch laughed hard, stopping only to palm microwave popcorn into his mouth. Who needs Hollywood anyhow?

…

Nephrite's unsuspecting prey was hard at work roasting a rabbit on a spit. The woman had hunted and killed the long-eared fur ball herself, now she stood watchful over the meal while it cooked. So intent on preparing it perfectly that she didn't realize she'd become the prey of another hunter.

She was tall and strong built, but shapely and fair. Her hair was a tinge of orange, this and her natural beauty made her look as sweet and nourishing as a tropical fruit. Nephrite closed in from behind her without a sound. Like a slinking cat he hunched slightly before he struck.

Jupiter gasped loudly as a pair of strong arms grappled her from behind. "Is lunch ready yet, my love?" The red haired knight asked smoothly. He chuckled loudly as his love struggled free of his embrace and spun around to pound his chest with her fists.

"NEPHRITE YOU JERK!" she hissed as her punches thudded stiffly against his chest in vain. Nephrite couldn't help but smirk at her futile attempt at causing him pain. Jupiter was the strongest and tallest of all the guardians, yet even he towered over her. Eventually she grew tired and panted for breathe, like she'd just finished a difficult fight. She shrieked in horror when she remembered their lunch cooking over the fire. She rushed to check on it, then sighed that it wasn't burnt.

Prince Endymion preferred his garden for meeting the princess Serenity. But now the royal lovers were meeting in the city, guarded by Jadeite and Mars. Nephrite and Jupiter chose the royal garden for a place they could relax together and have lunch. Jupiter had boasted she was good cook and promised to prepare lunch herself. Nephrite was slow about going to their meeting place, wanting to surprise her.

"It's almost ready," said Jupiter. "I might have burned though! You shouldn't have distracted me!" she complained. Nephrite sighed, he could tell it hurt her pride to be snuck up on. Knowing her like he did, he knew he needed to set things right fast. He was going to save his gift for after lunch, but the time was now.

"Jupiter," he beaconed her softly. She turned to him with daggers in her eyes, the daggers blunted when she saw his gentle smile and came up to gently clasp her cheek. "Hold still, now," he said as he carefully planted a red rose between her ear and hair. "There now, Jupiter is not complete without its' great red eye."

Jupiter blushed crimson, her eyes glistened. Nephrite knew she had always been an outcast among the girls on the moon. Her height and strength had put off boys and girls throughout her childhood. Nephrite both scoffed and laughed at the thought of it. Being afraid of such a beautiful girl because she was tall! To him there was no more beautiful woman in all the galaxy than her.

"The storm seems to have spread across the planet," Nephrite playfully mocked her blushing. She lowered bowed her head in embarrassment.

"I should get back to the meat," Jupiter said. But Nephrite strengthened his grip on her and planted a soft kiss on her lips. "It's going to burn," she objected when he paused.

"Let it," he huffed as he scooped her up in his arms. She was light as a feather in his grip.

"But that's our lunch!" she gasped.

"All I need is you," he soothed as he laid her down in a bed of soft grass.

"But I…" Nephrite cut her off with a long kiss. "Nephrite!" she moaned. He kissed her again and again, moving from her lips to her cheek to her neck. "Nephrite… NEPHRITE… NEPHRITE!"

"NEPHRITE!" Jadeite's bellowing voice tore him away from his blissful memory. He felt blood trick down his forehead as he lay on the concrete floor of the prison. Jadeite was looking down on him with concern. He spotted the large brute that managed to punch him in the swarm of malcontents in orange jumpsuits, the coward was scampering away with the rest of the inmates.

"Is he alright?" Nephrite heard Kunzite ask.

"I'm fine!" Nephrite insisted as he force himself to his feet. "The wretched fool managed a lucky swing, that's all. There were too many to block all the blows." His brother knights gathered around and looked at him in concern for a moment, but soon were satisfied that he'd be alright.

"Well, we've driven them off!" Jadeite sighed. "But they'll be back."

"They're no match for us," Nephrite scoffed. "And good luck rarely strikes twice for a rabble like them!" he grunted, patting the cut on his forehead.

The deafening screech of feedback echoed throughout the prison. "AND ROUND ONE GOES TO THE, SO CALLED, FOUR HEAVENLY KINGS!" Morty's voice chimed gleefully through the intercom system. "That was a real doozy there wasn't it boys? But don't worry, you'll will get another chance, and real soon! Because soon and very soon we will be dropping randomly selected weapons all throughout the prison! Knives, guns, baseball bats, grenades, maybe even a frying pan or two. And you might want to get a move on, because some of the weapons might fall to your heavenly friends! COME ON PEOPLE! SHOW THEM ALIEN INVADERS WHO'S THE BOSS! GIVE E.T. A GOOD PROBING!

Nephrite felt himself and his comrades sigh in disgust. They weren't even aliens! Just reincarnated humans of an ancient but technologically advanced era. But then their enhanced abilities and strength probably seemed otherworldly. And Metallia was certainly not from Earth.

"Let's move!" Jadeite took charge and led them down the cell block to the exit. They passed by several dead and dying inmates as they ran. Nephrite didn't waste any sympathy on the murderous tramps as they passed.

They came to a cross section in the corridor, multiple directions led to the other cell blocks. But which one should they take? A shadow caught Nephrite's eye in a fraction of a second and he lurched aside to narrowly avoid a crowbar falling from above. A baseball bat and a pool cue both landed soon after. Jadeite barely missed a frying pan flung down at his head.

"HEADS UP BOYS!" Morty laughed from above. The knights glared up in unison at their jailer. "JUST TRYING TO KEEP YOU BOYS ON YOUR TOES!" Nephrite had not time to shout a curse at the man before he and his comrades were abruptly cut off from each other by rows of bars. Each of them were now trapped in separate corridors leading to different cell blocks.

"DIVIDE AND CONQUER!" Morty's voice blared into the intercom. "The wisdom of Sun Tzu! It really works! Don't believe me? Then check this out, the heavenly kings just made a horror movie mistake, they split up! Each is heading to a different cell block, be advised they are heavily armed with blunt objects and colorful language. COME AND GET EM PEOPLE! THEY'RE ALL YOURS!"

Wild cheers went up. The dogs of war were let slip. "Don't worry boys," Morty called down to them. "The cell blocks converge in the cow hall. You can meet up there!" he said with a dark laugh. Nephrite knelt to grab the pool cue at his feet. If he survived this, he intended to mount Morty's head on the stick!

"Be careful, all of you!" Zoisite called out as he picked up the crowbar. "We'll meet in the mess hall like he said. Try to use the narrow corridor to our advantage again. Good luck, everyone!" The others acknowledged as they headed down their respective hallways with weapons in hand.

Nephrite proceeded with caution. He heard the inmates coming, for all he knew they had fire arms. He might end up with a few more wounds before this battle was over. He'd just have to cope for now.

Knights of Earth were trained to make due on the battlefield. Ready-made weapons and equipment weren't always available in the field. And even though knights were known for their great swords, many knights only used them for ceremonies, in both the distant past and the middle ages of the current civilization. Many knights preferred maces, hammers, or axes. Nephrite was also pretty good with a spear, he smirked down at the thin wooden cue in his hands.

"THERE HE IS!" the mob roared as they rounded the corner ahead of him. In the dim lighting, Nephrite could make out the glint of knives and hammers. He thought he even saw a few pairs of scissors clutched in the fists of savage criminals as the trampled toward him like a pack of rabid dogs.

"I HAVE A GUN!" He barely heard one of them shout from the middle of the horde. "OUT OF THE WAY, I'VE GOT HIM!" the same voice called out. Nephrite dove to his belly a split second before the pistol fired.

Blood sprayed, bodies fell, and cries of rage changed instantly to cries of anguish. Three more pistol shot rang out and more bodies fell. Nephrite might have laughed if he weren't disgusted by the entire exercise. The blithering idiot had fired through his fellow inmates! The bullets had torn through the backs of several prisoners, most of whom were shot either in the head or upper body. The fool probably thought he could fire over them into his target.

More shots rang out as the mob turned their wrath on their blundering comrade. They grappled him, punching, stabbing, and choking. They wrestled for control of the gun. It went off into the heads of two more men before the biggest, meanest looking of the bunch ripped it from the dead fool's limp fingers. He held it up over his head and cheered his triumph over the others. Now was his chance!

Nephrite sprang to his feet and readied the cue like a spear as he charged the cheering inmate from behind. The tip of the cue tore through his back and protruded out his belly like a knife through butter. The already submitted mob recoiled in shock and horror as their self-appointed leader stood skewered before them.

The impaled inmate gaped down at the stick driven through his abdomen in shock. Like his mind could scarcely comprehend what had happened to him. Nephrite wasted no time in wrenching the gun from the man's softened grip and firing into the crowd.

The inmates scampered back in vain as bullets ripped through them and into others behind them. Nephrite squeezed the trigger several more times until the pistol clicked empty. He'd never fired a gun before, but the close quarters and narrow walkway made it child's play. Even his shots that missed ricocheted off the cell bars and into the retreating mob. The floor was soon littered with bloodied bodies, dead and dying.

"IT'S EMPTY!" One of the prisoners shouted when the gun clicked dry. He sprang toward Nephrite, urging his comrades on. Nephrite instantly threw the spent pistol at the inmate's head with full force. He heard metal crushing bone as the pistol flew into the man's face, downing him instantly. The rest of the mob rushed past him, their confidence restored.

The impaled brute moaned in pain but still hadn't fallen. Nephrite decided to fix that. As the mob closed in, he gripped his pool cue and kicked large prisoner with all his strength. The massive man flew forward into the charging mass. A dozen men toppled over, some of them crushed beneath the heavy mans' weight. Others flailed frantically in vain as Nephrite brought his cue down on them, spearing the downed enemies. The tip soon broke, sacrificing the weapon's reach for a sharper, thicker tip, this suited Nephrite fine.

Nephrite advanced further into the mob. They swung wildly, many only with fists, but Nephrite was calm and calculating. He struck swiftly but purposefully, stabbing and swinging for weak spots. He remembered his years of training in the distant past like yesterday. Every so often an inmate would land a blow to his gut, arms or shoulders. He was careful to prioritize blocking strikes from weapons over fists.

More gunshots rang out from the other cell blocks. Nephrite did his best to ignore them. There was nothing he could do for his comrades, for now he could only focus on his own survival. But he was confident in his brother knights, he trusted them.

Soon the dwindling mob of prisoners saw the futility in their constant strikes. Most of them looked winded. So was Nephrite, though he was careful not to let them see it. The remnants of the mob began to stumble away in fear as Nephrite ripped his broken cue from another man's chest. Moments later they were running away from him as fast as they could. Nephrite smirked and knelt to grab a dropped hammer from the ground.

"ALIEN BASTARD!" a hoarse voice bellowed from behind as crippling pain dug into Nephrite's shoulder blade. A skinny inmate rushed past him down the corridor, leaving his knife half-buried in Nephrite's back.

Nephrite staggered to his feet, fighting the pain with all his might. He had to keep going. He had to regroup with the others. He had to stay alive until Lynch was finished with him. He had to get back to Jupiter!

On he staggered, reaching back painfully several times trying to get a grip on the knife in his back. As he reached the end of the cell block, he managed to grab the handle and ripped out the knife. He nearly collapsed as he felt blood flow freely from the opened wound. It occurred to him that maybe he should have left it there until there was time to properly treat the wound.

Nephrite staggered like a drunkard into the empty mess hall, a hammer in one hand and the knife in the other. He heard more screaming and gunshots from the other cell blocks but felt his strength failing him, he knew he couldn't go to their aid. In a moment it would be a matter of whether or not they could come for him.

Another mob burst from a nearby doorway. Nephrite was certain he recognized some of the faces from before. But now they were newly armed with machetes, axes, and several of them had samurai swords. They bellowed like warriors with newfound confidence and surrounded him, closing in for the kill.

"HEY REDHEAD!" Nephrite heard a familiar voice from above. "I'VE GOT A LITTLE SNACK FOR YOU, PINEAPPLE ON ME!"

Nephrite never would have noticed the fallen object if he hadn't heard it clang on the concrete floor at his feet. In his fading consciousness he recognized the unmistakable green pineapple shape of a hand grenade. In an instant act of frantic survival, he grappled the biggest of the inmates and spun him around between him and the grenade.

He felt a sudden burst of force and the unnatural sensation of his feet leaving the ground. Then all went dark. Amid the darkness he thought he saw the shimmer of sunlight on orange hair, the soft deep red of a rose between the strands of hair.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's notes: I know this is bit rougher and grittier. Fans of the show have seen the world from the upbeat and perky perspective of Sailor Moon, I say it's time for a view of those with a less pleasant outlook. Killing off the four kings was a low blow! I found them the most interesting characters. Plus the ruthless CIA agents, and brave soldiers who'd respond to such a nightmarish event is something rarely considered. The event at the end of season one was Earth-shattering! Even with a quick fix like in the show, there's no way anyone would just forget it! Enjoy and please review.

The blast was deafening, and close. Jadeite cursed under his breath and swung his frying pan into yet another inmate's head. Whatever the blast was, it came from the mess hall. Morty must have given the inmates grenades. He hoped none of the others had been caught in the blast.

One of the remaining prisoners in the considerably diminished mob drew a shotgun. Jadeite swiftly smacked the barrel aside for the weapon to fire into a nearby inmate, then back-swung the pan into the prisoner's face.

The brained prisoner stumbled back unconscious, giving Jadeite just enough time to wrestle the shotgun out of his hands and empty the weapon into the last of the mob. He heard the crackle of automatic gunfire nearby. He hoped it wasn't being fired into one of his comrades.

Jadeite sifted into pockets of the shotgun's former wielder, and was grateful to find some spare shells. Morty must have thrown down some shells to go with the gun. Jadeite reloaded as fast as he could. He'd never used a gun before, but figured it out quickly. Anyone in this time who'd ever seen a half-way decent action movie could figure it out. Well maybe not ANYBODY. Some of the prisoners in the mob attacking him hand fired their weapons prematurely into their own men. The inmates might not have been foolish so much as insane. They seemed crazed with bloodlust as they attacked. Jadeite couldn't blame the government for not trusting these maniacs to the system.

Jadeite had just finished reloading when his leg was stabbed by searing pain. He quickly swung the butt of the gun into the face of the wounded inmate behind him. The prisoner fell limp and Jadeite strained himself not fire his weapon into the thug's head. He couldn't waste ammunition on downed enemy.

He quickly ripped the knife from his leg. Even with his accelerated healing, an opened wound could be costly, but he couldn't keep walking with a knife lodged in his leg. Jadeite made his way down the cell block to the mess hall entrance with the knife and the shotgun at the ready. The knife he clutched in the hand opposite the one on the gun's trigger. This way in close combat he could instantly switch to swing both the gun and the knife at enemy.

More gunfire rattled and he entered the mess hall just in time to see a mob of inmates being peppered with bullets. Kunzite emerged from the cell block with a grim smirk on his face and a smoking assault rifle in his hands.

The sound of metal slicing meat came from the next block down. An inmate stumbled into the hall clutching his bloodied abdomen before crumbling to the floor. Zoisite came out behind him, wielding a samurai sword. They all nodded to each other. Their enemies were nowhere to be seen.

Kunzite and Zoisite were both splashed with cuts and bruises but no major injuries. But where was Nephrite?

A moan caught Jadeite's attention and his eyes widened as they noticed red hair beneath a large corpse. "NEPHRITE!" he gasped as he rushed to his friend's aid. The other to ran to join him and together they rolled the large inmate off their comrade. He was still breathing but was unresponsive.

"Juptier…!" Nephrite moaned weakly. Jadeite couldn't help but envy his oblivion. He'd have given anything to hold Mars at that moment. What's more she'd and the other guardians could probably get them out of his mess easily.

More cries came from the door to the final cell block from the other side of the hall. "Protect Nephrite!" Jadeite snapped, the other two nodded. They would never leave a fell knight behind.

The war cry of the inmate horde and the trampling of hundreds feet rumbled nearer with every second. This was utter chaos, the likes of which Jadeite hadn't seen since Beryl's uprising in the distant past. Jadeite felt the sting of shame as he remembered being mesmerized and taken over by Metallia's magic at Beryl's will. All that bloodshed and carnage because Prince Endymion would not reciprocate Beryl's love. Jadeite only hoped this battle would have some meaning to it.

Jadeite and Kunzite readied their firearms. Zoisite took a combat stance with his sword behind them. Both firearms pelted hot lead as the double doors of the cell block flew opened.

Scores of inmates rushed into the mess hall, only to be chopped down by buckshot and rifle rounds. But this time they kept coming. There was no more retreating or pausing in horror. The horde flowed freely from the cell block with the rage and bloodlust of a banzai charge. Most of the prisoners didn't even have weapons.

As Jadeite's shotgun clicked empty, he realized the method to this madness. The inmates in charge of the cell block had all the guns and were sending all their unarmed cellmates to soak up all the bullets. They'd spend all their ammunition on the small fishes and the sharks could move in for the feast.

"STOP SHOOTING!" Jadeite shouted. "NONE OF THEM HAVE GUNS!" Kunzite paused, hopefully to save the last of his ammo. Zoisite rushed forward to swing his sword into continuing flow of murderers. Jadeite did the same, ramming the butt of his spent weapon into the face of an inmate.

Jadeite saw Kunzite checking his weapon out of the corner of his eye. He didn't know how much ammo was left in the rifle, but it would have to do for now. Jadeite and Zoisite beat and slashed their way through the riot, inching closer to the double doors with every step.

Just as they reached the door, Jadeite heard a shout. "GET CLEAR, I WE GOT THIS!" Two thugs with pistols were trying to elbow their way through the remaining unarmed prisoners. Jadeite seized the opportunity and grabbed for the nearest thug's pistol. He shoved the gun upwards, his ears rang as a shot went off into the ceiling, but much too close to his head. He gouged the inmate in the eye with his thumb then wrenched the pistol from his grip.

The prisoner stumbled back in terror instants before Jadeite fired into his head at point blank range. He then discharged two more inmates. Another set of pistol shots finished off the swarming attackers. Jadeite turned to see, Zoisite brandishing a smoking pistol. The other armed thug lay gasping in pain on the floor, now literally disarmed by Zoisite's sword.

Automatic gun fire crackled in from the cell block. Jadeite dove to the floor as a mighty impact sent Zoisite tumbling backwards. A blood poured from wound in his abdomen. Kunzite's assault rifle rattled in reply at the armed thugs, two of them went down before one of their comrades managed to graze Kunzite's shoulder with a lucky shot. He stumbled back but kept on his feet.

Jadeite stayed on his belly as he crawled to the doorway and fired into the line of gunmen down the corridor, they'd been reinforced. The thugs were taking holding back and instantly replacing fallen gunmen as they went down. It made sense that the smarter more calculating prisoners would let the rabble run wild and soften up their prey before moving in with the heavy artillery. They saved the best for last.

Nephrite was still unconscious on the floor. Zoisite was writhing in pain on his back and just seemed to be getting ahold of himself, slowly picking up his gun and taking aim at the doorway. Kunzite's wounded arm was trembling but gripped the rifle stubbornly.

Jadeite flattened on his stomach and took cover on the short stair case up to the cell block doors. Bullet zipped over his head like a swarm of angry hornets. Then all gunfire ceased. "Put down the guns Hombres!" a voice called out from the cellblock. "We have you outnumbered, you can't have that much ammo left."

"We're not fools!" Jadeite called back. "We already know you're going to kill us, and trade our heads for freedom!"

"We're not talking about how much longer you're going to live, amigos!" the inmate replied. "We're talking how slow you're going to die, you see?"

"Last time I checked there were about five, maybe six of you left in there," said Jadeite. "Morty and his boss might have given you enough rope to hang us with, but he wouldn't give you enough to hang them! You guys can't have more than a couple extra men with guns behind you, if that. And you've been spraying bullets like raindrops until now. You've got to be running low too."

There was a pause of silence, confirming Jadeite's theory. "What about your friend, man?" the apparent leader asked with a brief chuckle. "He's got a gut shot. Without a doctor he won't survive the night. And the surgeon on call here is some drunk loser with shaky hands, you don't want him pulling bullets out of him, he might even take something out that he shouldn't," the leader paused as his men laughed and giggled darkly. Jadeite couldn't tell if this betrayed a lie or if they all knew from experience it was true.

"We could make it a lot easier for you and your friends, amigo," he said soothingly. "It'll be a lot easier for you than it was for all those people during the Event. Some of us even lost some friends and family on the outside man, family that can't even call or visit us here. We don't want no revenge, amigo. It'll be enough that your heads get us out of here. Or you can make us work for it, and see how much goodwill we have then."

Jadeite knew a snake when he heard one hissing, but for a brief moment he paused to consider it. Lynch wouldn't want them for anything pleasant, maybe it was better this way. Maybe the girls would all be happier without them anyway. It had been over a month since the Event, and at least a weak since he'd regained consciousness in the cell. Maybe they'd done enough damage to this world already. Maybe they should let it end here, let the girls move on with their lives, even if it was without them.

"Don't even think about it!" Zoisite hissed at him on the floor. "After all we've been through we can't give in now! We are knights! The royal guard of Prince Endymion! Our regent is still out there and so are the women we love! We have to survive!" he paused to cough blood. "WE WILL SURVIVE!" he growled painfully!

"Have it your way, amigos!" the leader called back. Moments later something metallic rolled past Jadeite and clanged to the floor beside Zoisite. A grenade! Zoisite lurched to his feet grabbing the explosive ball, and rushed to the doorway. He tossed the grenade just in time for a bullet to rip through his chest. Jadeite's cry of rage was lost amid the explosion.

…

Another stifling summer day in the royal garden. Zoisite wiped the sweat from his brow. Mercury had told him the moon is never so hot, but lacks the lush beauty of Earth's vegetation. Even as sunset loomed on the horizon, reflecting beautifully in the lake in front of him, the heat was oppressive.

The lovely guardian tightened her grip on his arm. He looked down at her smiling face and smiled. He smiled back at the woman he loved. The heat no longer bothered him. Mercury was smart, strong, and kind. She'd have been a great knight if she were a man. Zoisite shook the terrible thought from his head.

"What's wrong?" Mercury asked.

"Nothing," he answered with a huff of laughter. "Nothing important," he tried desperately to appease her curiosity. She gazed at him in question. "I was just thinking of… How boring and miserable such a hot day like this would have been if I'd never met you." She smiled.

"You have so much water here on earth," she said. "More than we have on the moon! Surely you wouldn't go thirsty. Do you swim?" she asked.

"I can," Zoisite answered. "But rarely do, most of my time is spent guarding the prince."

"And off duty?"

"Until you came along, training and sleep, mostly."

Mercury looked thoughtfully at the lake shore for a moment, then her eyes lit up brighter than the setting sun. "Zoisite, would you be a darling and turn around for a moment?" she asked. He raised his eyebrow in question but did as she asked. He could never deny her. "Don't turn around until I say," she said.

"I won't," he replied. A few moments of silence went by, what was that girl up to? A loud splash. He spun, saw the disturbed surface of the water. She jumped in? What was she thinking? Zoisite froze as he looked down at the shore. Her clothes lay in a heap. His breath caught in his throat, he no longer noticed the heat, his sweat glands went dry.

"I thought you said it was hot?" Mercury called out with a giggle. Zoisite looked to see her head and shoulders wadding in the water. A menacing but playful smile split her lips. "Come on in!" she cried, almost pleading.

Zoisite should have refused. He should have averted his eyes in respect for her dignity. What a childish and unseemly game! But he couldn't look away, her beauty captivated him as always. More than just her sleek and alluring body treading beneath the water, it was her eyes. He knew she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

Before he even realized what he was doing, Zoisite had disrobed and stood before her on the shore. She gazed upon him in awe and desire, a hint of blush on her face. Soon she gave him a challenging smirk and splashed him hard before darting further out into the lake. Zoisite, being a proper knight, could not let such a challenge go unanswered. He leapt in after her.

Despite her head start, he soon caught up to her. His lean and strong arms gave him an edge in water. Mercury squalled with gleeful terror as his arms enveloped her, pulling her close. Her warm body offset the chill of the water. She looked up into his eyes in blissful submission. He'd caught her. Beaten her fair and square. She planted a kiss on his lips, a gentle peck. Zoisite cupped her face in his hands and kissed her slowly and passionately. She kissed him back, embracing him with what felt almost like desperation. As if letting go of him would send her falling into a bottomless chasm. He returned the embrace, letting his hands wander her lean, smooth body, following every curve. She clutched him harder, a moan of ecstasy escaped her lips.

Zoisite never wanted to let go of her, never wanted to leave the lake. If only he could freeze time and let this moment be his present and future for all the rest of eternity. He broke away from the kiss to look in Mercury' eyes, he could tell she felt the same. The setting sun shimmered off the water, the glimmer reflected in her eyes. She was most precious treasure he could ever hope to have. More than the rarest jewel. He gently pressed his forehead against hers.

"I love you," he whispered.

"And I you."

The kiss resumed with renewed passion, as did the embrace. The sunlight vanished beneath the horizon. The lovers remained. Frozen in their moment of peace and love, with no wish to ever return to their worlds.


End file.
